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Interest rates will stay high ‘as long as necessary,’ the European Central Bank’s leader says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The head of the European Central Bank said Monday that interest rates will stay high enough to restrict business activity for “as long as necessary” to beat back inflation because upward pressure on prices “remains strong” in the 20 countries that use the euro currency.Christine Lagarde said “strong spending on holidays and travel” and increasing wages were slowing the decline in price levels even as the economy stays sluggish. Annual inflation in the eurozone eased only slightly from 5.2% in July to 5.3% in August.“We remain determined to ensure that inflation returns to our 2% medium-term target in a timely manner,” Lagarde told the European Parliament’s committee on economic and monetary affairs. “Inflation continues to decline but is still expected to remain too high for too long.”The ECB last week raised its benchmark deposit rate to an all-time high of 4% after a record pace of increases from minus 0.5% in July 2022. Analysts think the ECB may be done...

Egypt sets a presidential election for December with el-Sissi likely to stay in power until 2030

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt will hold a presidential election over three days in December, officials announced Monday, with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi highly likely to remain in power until 2030.Waleed Hamza, the chairman of the National Election Authority, said the vote will take place on Dec. 10-12, with a runoff on Jan. 8-10 if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote. Egyptian expatriates will vote on Dec. 1-3, and in the runoff on Jan. 5-7, he added.A handful of politicians have already announced their bids to run for the country’s highest post, but none poses a serious challenge to el-Sissi, who has been in power since 2014 and has faced criticism from the West over his country’s human rights record. El-Sissi, a former defense minister, led the military overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013 amid street protests against his one-year rule. Since then, authorities have launched a major crackdown on dissent. Thousands of government critics have been sil...

Philippine coast guard says it removed barrier placed by China’s coast guard in disputed shoal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine coast guard said Monday it has complied with a presidential order to remove a floating barrier placed by China’s coast guard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering a lagoon in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.Philippine officials condemned the installation of the 300-meter (980-foot) -long barrier at the entrance to the lagoon at Scarborough Shoal as a violation of international law and their Southeast Asian nation’s sovereignty. The Philippine coast guard’s report that it has removed the barrier underscores intensifying Philippine efforts to fight China’s increasingly aggressive actions, against many odds, in one of the world’s most hotly contested waters.Chinese coast guard vessels laid the rope and net barrier, held up by buoys, last week as a Philippine government fisheries vessel approached and more than 50 Philippine fishing boats swarmed outside the shoal, the Philippine coast guard said.The Philippine coast guard said...

Military drops one of the sexual misconduct charges against Lt.-Gen. Steve Whelan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

The military has dropped one of the charges related to alleged sexual misconduct against Lt.-Gen. Steve Whelan, who was removed from his job as head of military personnel in 2021 after the allegations were made.Whelan was set to face a court martial this morning on two charges of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.One of those charges was related to what the military called an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.The military prosecution says that charge has been withdrawn.Whelan has pleaded not guilty to a second charge, an allegation that he inappropriately changed a performance evaluation report for Warrant Officer Dana Mills in 2011.The prosecution says the pair had a personal relationship that included “flirtatious email exchanges,” and that their relationship changed while they were deployed together.In an opening statement, the prosecution told the court martial that Mills complained her evaluation report was scored too low after she re...

Report: More details emerge on Alan Williams' resignation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

CHICAGO —Before another rough game for the Bears on the field on Sunday, there were more details that emerged on the resignation of Alan Williams last week.Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the defensive coordinator left the team, in part, due to what has been described as "inappropriate activity." While there was no criminal activity, according to the report, the Bears' human resources department was involved in the process that would lead up to Williams' resignation.As of now, the Bears have been mum on the reasons for the defensive coordinator's abrupt resignation. There has been no "thank you" or "best wishes" given to Williams on social media from the team, with players and coaches having little to say about the resignation. As bizarre of a week as it gets for the Bears Williams released a statement on Wednesday saying that he did so to "take care of my health and my family."The defensive coordinator joined the Bears along with Eberflus in the winter of 2022 after working with him ...

Writers' union reaches tentative deal with Hollywood studios to end historic strike

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Screenwriters’ union leaders and Hollywood studios have reached a tentative agreement to end a historic strike after nearly five months, raising hopes that a crippling shutdown of film and television filming is near an end.Actors remain on strike, but movement on the writers' demands could mean that the actors will find a resolution soon as well. The Writers Guild of America announced the deal Sunday in a joint statement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations. The agreement must be approved by the guild’s board and members before the strike officially ends, and that could happen this week.“WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP,” the guild said in an email to members. “This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days.”In...

Police: 17-year-old laying in Niles road dies after being struck by vehicle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

NILES, Ill. — A 17-year-old boy died early Monday morning after he was struck by a vehicle while laying in a road, police said.Just before 2:30 a.m., authorities were dispatched to the 8200 block of West Ballard Road on the report of a person struck by a vehicle.Following an initial investigation, police believe a 17-year-old boy, of Niles, was already lying in the road when he was struck by a 2007 Nissan Xtrerra, driven by a 21-year-old traveling eastbound.The reason the 17-year-old was originally lying in the road is under investigation, police said. The driver of the Nissan was non suspected to be impaired and is cooperating. 2 DePaul students robbed on Lincoln Park campus The road was closed for nearly four hours after the incident.

WGA strike captain Zayd Dohrn discusses tentative deal with studios

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

CHICAGO — After 146 days, it appears the end of the writer's strike is almost here. The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract this weekend. The final language still has to be worked out & WGA membership still has to vote on it, but it appears the strike is coming to an end.Writers received the support of many around Hollywood in their quest for a new contract, which would include protections against the use of artificial intelligence, and staffing, along with more compensation for streaming content.Zayd Dohrn, a screenwriter, playwright, and a professor at Northwestern Univesity's School of Communication, also serves as a WGA strike captain. He joined WGN Morning News to talk about this tentative agreement with Dean Richard on Monday's show.You can watch his segment in the video above. Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's...

Viral video captures Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift leaving Kansas City stadium together

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WGN) — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift were spotted together at Arrowhead Stadium after Sunday's game.In a video captured by WGN TV's Jarrett Payton, Kelce and Swift could be seen walking side by side after the Chief's 41-10 blowout win against the Chicago Bears. The video has gone viral and as of Monday morning, had over 9 million views.In his post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Payton said, "Talk about being at the right place at the right time! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving Arrowhead together after the game."Payton shared the story behind his now-viral video Monday on Nexstar's WGN. The sports anchor said he was making his way out of the stadium and luck was on his side."As I started walking, the head security guard for the Chiefs stopped me and goes, 'Where are you going?' and I said, 'On my way to my car. Can I go this way?' and he said, 'Stay right here.'" "I just grabbed my phone an...

Bedbugs, mold, sewage: Military barracks conditions below standards, report finds

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The Pentagon is failing to provide sufficient oversight over complaints of bedbugs, mold and sewage at U.S. military base barracks, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).The report accuses to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) of not providing reliable assessments of barrack conditions, especially in instances where the conditions are substandard. In its report, the GAO found conditions that could pose “serious health and safety risks.”Servicemembers in one discussion group with the GAO said tap water in their barracks is often brown and fear it is not safe to drink. Servicemembers in six of the twelve discussion groups told the GAO of pest issues including bedbugs, rodents, cockroaches and wasps. CDC reports significant increase in adult obesity rates In one of the more shocking claims by servicemembers, the GAO’s report found that, at one installation, servicemembers are responsible for cleaning biological waste that “...